Mark Josiah Kirya

Mark was brought by a taxi driver who found him roaming in the street and almost getting hit by a car. The taxi driver took Mark and sat him next to him and after 5 hours of no one coming to check on where the boy was, the taxi driver began to walk around with Mark. He went to the market to inquire if anyone was missing a child, and to the neighborhood but no one came forward looking for a little boy. The Good Samaritan then took Mark to the police and even paid for the local radio stations to make announcements regarding the little boy he found, but still no one came forward. The police made an official report and then referred the gentleman to the Probation and Social Welfare Department who referred them to us. Two days after Mark came to be with us his grandmother showed up at the Probation Department narrating a story of her daughter who is mentally ill giving birth to little Mark and forcibly removing Mark from her. When the grandmother refuses to release the little boy, Mark’s birth mother physically beats up the grandmother (who is in her 70’s). On this last occasion the mother returned without Mark and the grandmother asked where he was, the mother told her that Mark had gone for funeral rites in some village. Of course the grandmother panicked thinking that perhaps he was dead. After hearing the whole story, the Probation Officer decided that for the safety and well being of the child that he should be placed permanently with us.

Mark is a tiny little guy. He is so sweet and has these fabulously big, beautiful, and innocent eyes. When you see Mark you just want to pick him up and just love him, which I have the honor of doing on a daily basis. Mark is a quiet little one who doesn’t like to be bothered. He plays well by himself and with others but he doesn’t want anyone disturbing him when he’s busy otherwise you hear a shriek that neighbors a mile away can hear. As small as he is we know he can also grow up to have a testimony of God’s grace and mercy. When you remember us in East Africa, remember Mark.

Date of Birth: 4/23/2003... Admitted to AFTC: 12/2/2005